I, Kenneth, am going to get to the root of the problem today.

Page 37

As the azure patterns spread and magic surged, Aozaki Aoko, who was sitting cross-legged on the coffin lid, sprang forward with a burst of speed as Kenneth lifted the coffin lid.

biu~~~boom

Kenneth watched as Aozaki Aoko fell into the pond in a perfect parabola, then, realizing he had used too much force, pretended nothing had happened and climbed out of the coffin.

The next second, Aozaki Aoko, soaking wet, climbed ashore, snapped her fingers, and the past of falling into the water was erased. Still wearing jeans and a white T-shirt, Aozaki Aoko plopped back onto the coffin lid that had been thrown over.

"Now that you're out, am I free?"

Seeing Aozaki Aoko practically screaming "I want to fight" on her face, Kenneth smiled wryly and took back the Moon Spirit Essence Liquid that Aozaki Aoko was clutching in her hand.

"Wait a little longer, Aoko. You are a powerful weapon. There's no need for you to take action now. The Holy Grail's arrival is when you can wreak havoc."

Faced with Kenneth's explanation, Aozaki Aoko immediately beamed. Facing Aozaki Aoko's resentful gaze, Kenneth pretended not to see it and turned his head away. To deal with him, an ant, even Archer had to step in. If Aozaki Aoko were to go on a rampage during the Holy Grail War, Kenneth was genuinely afraid that some random old man passing by would be squatting by his bedside and ringing the bell for him.

"Just bear with it a little longer, Aoko. If you want to get some exercise, you can go find Karna. He shouldn't refuse to spar with you."

"I've been waiting for you to say that. Honestly, Morgan has been stopping me from sparring with her sister. I've been so bored lately."

At that moment, Karna, carrying large and small bags, rushed back to Ryudouji Temple. After handing over the task to Kenneth from Morgans, just as Karna was about to assume the role of bodyguard, Aozaki Aoko suddenly appeared in front of Karna.

"Lancer, let's have a spar! I'm pretty strong!"

Without answering Aozaki Aoko's challenge, Karna, after consulting Kenneth, nodded to Aozaki Aoko, whose eyes were now blazing with anger, after maximizing his obedience skill.

"Alright, you're very strong. Within the scope of our sparring, I will go all out to fight you."

Watching Karna follow Aozaki Aoko into the backyard, Kenneth also focused his attention on what was in front of him. After retrieving the equipment from the doll, Kenneth then looked at the two suitcases in front of him. Skipping over the bloodstained suitcase, he opened the redwood suitcase, where Emiya Kiritsugu's magic crest and the remaining twenty-eight Origin Bullets lay quietly.

"The Emiya family's magic crest, even at the lower level of 20%, grants the ability to control time acceleration. Emiya Norikaze, Emiya Norikaze, your death was not unjust."

Although Kenneth was quite resistant to the idea of ​​taking on the burdens of the ancestors of the magic world, a shrewd capitalist would not refuse the opportunity to exploit him. He packed the Origin Bullet along with Kiritsugu Emiya's magic crest and sent it to the El-Melloi family. After instructing Touko to handle the remaining Emiya family crests kept in the Clock Tower, Kenneth entered Morgan's Workshop and began to further repair the damaged Moon Spirit Essence.

On the streets of Fuyuki City, there was that familiar ramen shop. Thanks to Aozaki Aoko, Morgan brought his rice bucket into the small shop that was about to close. He sat in the corner of the shop, and Artoria looked at Morgan with some wariness as he changed his appearance.

"It's Miss Ash, long time no see. And who is this?"

"She's my sister, and she has a huge appetite. Boss, you'll have to work overtime today."

Faced with Morgan's undisguised statement, Artoria, her face flushed red, even forgot how Morgan addressed her. Staring with her pale green eyes, Artoria gave him a look that said, "How dare you slander me out of thin air?"

Artoria: A knight's business is about appetite. Appetite is appetite, and appetite is appetite.

"Hahaha, let the guests eat their fill! It would be a chef's fault to leave them hungry! Alright, today I, Haruno Jiro, am going to show you my best skills! Stove! Surrender to me!!"

Seeing the inexplicably ignited passion of Haruno Jiro, Morgan, who could already foresee the future, reluctantly withdrew his gaze, picked up the ice water, and also glanced at the blushing Artoria.

"The boss's cooking is excellent. You've done a great job lately, so take a break."

Startled by Morgan's sudden gentleness, Artoria crossed her arms and leaned heavily against the sofa behind her, her ahoge standing on end. In a panic, Artoria frantically turned her head to look in the direction from which the black hand might attack.

"Don't be nervous, the Holy Grail War is about to end. I want to talk to you."

Morgan took a sip of ice water, the coolness relaxing him after a long day. His blue eyes turned to Artoria, who was experiencing a PTSD attack, and Morgan put down his water glass amidst the clinking of ice cubes.

"Lily, do you still hold that wish?"

Struck by Morgan's sudden attack, Artoria's expression immediately turned serious. Faced with Artoria's increasingly stubborn attitude, Morgan felt a throbbing pain in his temples.

"It's nothing. Think carefully about what Lancer told you. He doesn't lie."

Morgan knew he couldn't wake someone who was pretending to be asleep. Faced with Artoria, who was headlong into a dead end and refused to turn back, Morgan gave up the idea of ​​continuing. He figured he'd let Artoria suffer some mental attacks from the Holy Grail later. Anyway, with Aoko around, Morgan wasn't worried that Artoria couldn't be saved.

"Morgan, what exactly is your purpose?"

Just then, Jiro Harano walked over carrying two bowls of extra-sized ramen, put down a large plate of fried dumplings, and cheerfully explained:

"It would be my fault to let the customers leave hungry. I have some filling left over today, so I'll leave it to you, Miss Ash. If you need more, just let me know. I have plenty of ramen in stock."

"Then thank you very much, Boss Erlang."

The friendly Morgan before her had a serious discrepancy between her memory of him and that of Artoria. Combined with their interactions over the past few days, Artoria suddenly felt a strong sense of unease.

"Who are you?! Why are you dressed up as Sister Mo...? I absolutely..."

The moment Morgan raised his arm, Artoria instantly backed down, put on a serious face, and Morgan picked up his chopsticks and gave most of the noodles in the bowl to the ahoge.

"Eat quickly."

With a face full of suspicion, Artoria picked up a noodle and sniffed it. After confirming that there were no strange potions, she tentatively slurped the noodle into her mouth. Then, under the special effect of the Flower Magician, Artoria, with her eyes shining, began to gulp down the noodles like a whirlwind.

With his chin propped up, Morgan realized for the first time how apt the phrase "a feast for the eyes" could be. He gestured to the owner with his eyes for another serving, and feeling quite pleased with himself, Morgan picked up a bowl of noodles and put it in his mouth.

Chapter Ninety-Six: Decay in the Night

Despite saying no, Artoria's body language was very honest, and she taught the boss a lesson. Watching Artoria gulp down the last mouthful of soup in her bowl, Morgan placed a stack of Yuki on the table, feeling a little embarrassed.

Morgan gave an apologetic look to Haruno Jiro, who was lying on the ground exhausted from a wrist cramp. As he led Artoria, whose face showed she was still not satisfied, out of the shop, Morgan thoughtfully closed the door for the owner. Noticing Morgan's actions, Artoria, who had inadvertently ruined the chef's cooking, realized her lapse in behavior and looked apologetically at Haruno Jiro, who was about to get up to see them off.

"Mr. Yuanye, your food is as delicious as ever. My sister and I will come again."

Faced with Morgan's praise, Haruno Jiro, who was still somewhat tired, broke into a hearty smile and raised his still trembling hand to give Morgan a thumbs up.

"Alright, sorry for the poor hospitality. I'll definitely serve you even more delicious ramen next time!"

"Is that so? Then I'll look forward to Mr. Haruno's cooking..."

Artoria's ahoge (cowlick) shook wildly as she looked at the two who had suddenly started talking together with a puzzled expression. Her impression of Morgan crumbled once again. Just as Artoria was struggling with whether or not to apologize, Morgan turned her gaze to the constantly shaking ahoge.

"Lily, how was Mr. Haruno's cooking?"

"It's delicious, one of the best foods I've ever eaten."

At that moment, Artoria felt that the boss's mood had improved a lot. It wasn't until Haruno Jiro waved goodbye and walked back to the shop that Artoria, who had been hesitant to speak, finally asked the question that had been on her mind.

"Sister Mo, why are you stopping me from apologizing to the shop manager?"

Having experienced too many shocks tonight, Artoria felt her head buzzing. Morgan, impressed by Artoria's naivety, skillfully led her towards the shortcut to Ryudou Temple.

Why are you apologizing?

"Because of me, the store manager seemed to be in a lot of pain."

Faced with Morgan's sudden turn, the absent-minded Artoria slammed her steel plate into Morgan's curvaceous body.

"Lily, I'm asking you, what does that boss do for a living?"

Hearing this question, which was practically absurd, under the arrangement of the cosmic consciousness, Artoria tilted her head and gave a polite but somewhat awkward smile. Ignoring Artoria's expression as if she were looking at an idiot, Morgan closed his eyes helplessly.

"Mr. Haruno is a chef, a chef who dedicates his life to ramen. For him, no matter how tired he is, the praise from customers is an affirmation of his efforts. Do you understand?"

The life-changing discussion begins. As a witch who understands people's hearts, Morgan's understanding of human nature far surpasses that of the straight woman with the thicker clothes she wears.

"No matter the process or the outcome, even if he doesn't feed you properly, your praise will make him feel that it was all worthwhile, and that's what he needs most as a chef."

Seeing Artoria's seemingly confused but actually clueless expression, Morgan now really wanted to go back to Avalon and stab that useless person who breathes through his gills a few times.

"Then let me ask you, Lily, what do your subjects need? And what do you, as king, need?"

With the help of Jiro Haruno, Morgan directly steered the conversation to the origin of the conflict.

"I will save Britain! I will ensure Britain's continuation!!"

Artoria's pupils contracted, and having already understood Morgan's intentions, she subconsciously answered Morgan's question by explaining the purpose of drawing her sword.

"I'm asking what you need, not your purpose!"

What do I need?

At this moment, Artoria was confused. She seemed to have never considered this question before. Taking control of the conversation, Morgan also turned his eyes toward the direction of England.

"You have achieved your purpose in drawing your sword. On the other side of the sea, the country is still called Britain. So, what is it that you, as a king, truly need?"

As Morgan pressed her for answers, Artoria fell into the greatest unease of her life.

"Just like Lancer said, it's not that you don't understand people's hearts, you just don't know how to respond to expectations. Let me tell you, what a subject needs is a response, but you don't know how to respond to expectations. Tristan does, Lancelot does, Mordred... well, she counts too."

"If you don't get a response for a long time, the seeds of unease will sprout, and fear will spread! As a king, what you need is recognition. I ask you, do your knights recognize you?!"

Faced with Morgan's aggressive tone, Artoria, who was about to reject him outright, remembered Karna's words and hesitated. It was this brief hesitation that caused her to completely lose her chance to fight back.

"They have always admired you, they have always longed for your guidance. So, Lily, they have acknowledged you, history has acknowledged you. Are you going to deny yourself! Deny the heroic souls who died for you?!"

...

Morgan's words shattered Artoria's defenses. The holy sword given to her by the elves shone with golden light, and the fallen heroes responded to Morgan's call. Enveloped in illusory particles of light, Artoria saw the soldiers who had fought alongside her on the battlefield.

"Stop deceiving yourself. When you doubt yourself, you've already become a puppet of the throne! Ask the souls who answered your call: Have they ever regretted it?!"

Morgan's angry rebuke completely shattered Artoria's stubbornness, and the dead souls also gained a brief period of intelligence under Morgan's summons.

"My king, your sword will forever guide us."

"King Arthur, I am willing to use my body to pave the way to victory for you."

"My lord, we have never regretted serving under you. The snowflakes of the City of Chalk are our eternal bond..."

Firefly-like lights enveloped Artoria, and these soldiers who had followed her onto the battlefield offered their utmost loyalty to their leader, who was lost in confusion.

"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! It's all my fault. If, if I could have done better, you wouldn't have sacrificed yourselves. I'm a derelict king; I failed to bring you back..."

Using magic to disperse the Muggles who had gathered due to the strange celestial phenomenon, Morgan gazed at Artoria, who was slumped on the ground, and sensed the gaping hole in her heart. Morgan finally felt that his efforts had not been in vain.

Dark clouds obscured the moonlight, and the lights in the residential area gradually went out. Life in the bustling city center was just beginning. In the abandoned billiard hall, orange light pierced through the thick smoke, dispelling the darkness. In the foul air, the thugs gathered there swore and boasted about their recent glory.

The rustling sound from the surrounding walls went unnoticed by anyone. The incandescent light overhead began to flicker. Lifting his head, which had been ruined by a failed hair dyeing attempt, the thug squatting on the pool table cursed under his breath and prepared to check the only source of light.

'patta'

The lights went out, and someone pressed the switch. The garbage-strewn pool hall was immediately filled with a chorus of curses. In the darkness, unnoticed by everyone, on the pool table, a skeleton shrouded in a black robe was staring at this group of scum from the bottom of society with its empty eye sockets.

With a crisp click, the warm orange light was tinged with blood. The once noisy hall was now filled only with the slimy sound of worms wriggling. In order to fill the void of the soul and to resist the erosion of the body, the city had become a hunting ground for decaying souls.

"More, I want more!! I want to break free from this body; I haven't obtained the Holy Grail yet..."

Amidst frenzied ramblings and senseless slaughter, the decaying entity named Zouken Matou transforms into a monster of the night, recklessly devouring all living beings it encounters along the way.

"A cursed arm? What is it that you'd risk even to reattach a demon's arm to grasp? Is it your own folly? To surrender your body to such a decaying thing for your own stupidity—utterly foolish!!"

At the top of the towering tower, a burly figure shrouded in black robes leaned on a greatsword, gazing into the darkness below. Blue flames ignited in his eyes beneath the mask. A dark cloud drifted by, and moonlight shone down once more. The figure standing in the night vanished without a trace.

Chapter Ninety-Seven: If Your Mind Remains Calm, We Will Not See You

Sneaking a BB.jpg

Manipulating Morgan's workshop, Kenneth projected the bridge of Fuyuki City onto his screen. In the image, Iskandar and Gilgamesh sat cross-legged, raising their cups to drink together. Behind Iskandar, Waver, who had forced himself to calm down, stared helplessly at the figure in front of him.

"So it has begun after all. Well, the battles to come are not for you to get involved in. This journey has been enough for you."

As they sipped their drinks, even though Kenneth couldn't hear what the other was saying, he could sense that their exchange was escalating.

"Karna, please go for me. My apprentice cannot die here."

Without waiting for Karna's reply, Kenneth turned his gaze away from the crystal ball and looked at the serious-looking Karna with a relaxed expression.

"It's alright, Aoko is here, and this is still Morgan's workshop. She and Saber will be back soon. I also have Command Seals, so even if Gilgamesh comes, he can't hurt me. Go, just don't let that Gilgamesh find you, and also, don't get caught in the Conqueror King's Reality Marble."

After carefully analyzing Kenneth's explanation, Karna, who had fought Aozaki Aoko, thought for a moment, nodded, and disappeared from Kenneth's sight. His gaze returned to the crystal ball, where Iskandar put down his wine glass and let out a hearty laugh. The destined battle was about to begin.

The two kings, sitting cross-legged, drank the last sip of divine wine from their cups, rose, turned their backs to each other, and simultaneously tossed their golden wine vessels into the air.

'Ding...ding...'

The wine cup fell to the ground, and the golden goblet turned into particles of light with a crisp clinking sound. At this moment, the two kings stood on either side of the bridge. As Iskandar raised his short sword high, the ball of light spread out, and the intense white light completely obscured Kenneth's vision. Realizing that Iskandar was about to once again demonstrate the bond between him and his soldiers, Kenneth, who could already foresee the ending, silently closed his eyes.

"The King of Conquerors? Although he is an enemy, I really have to thank you for training me into an obedient tool."

Kenneth, who got up, also planned to take advantage of this break to check on Aozaki Aoko, who was somewhat exhausted after sparring with Karna.

"Seriously, it's just a friendly spar, no need to exhaust yourself!"

The magic was powerful, but Aozaki Aoko, who wielded the magic, was just an ordinary person. Without using her full power, the hot-blooded and itchy Aozaki Aoko successfully exhausted herself under Karna's super agility. No matter how strong you are, an attack that can't hit is just ineffective damage.

While inwardly criticizing Aozaki Aoko's violence, Kenneth froze the moment he turned around. A chill crept up his spine and spread throughout his body. The air, which had been relatively warm, suddenly became incredibly heavy and ominous.

Under the bright lights, a burly man, completely shrouded in black robes, stood silently at the far end of the room. Blue light emanated from his eye sockets beneath his skull mask. His hands, covered by armor, rested on a rusty and cracked greatsword. At his waist, a bloodless head was still dripping blood.

The moment Kenneth spotted the other person, the thick smell of blood filled his nostrils, and he heard the dripping sound of blood on the floor tiles. Cold sweat broke out on his face, and as he glanced at the pool of blood, Kenneth realized that this Grand Servant had probably been watching him for a long time.

No action was taken in vain; the oppressive atmosphere grew even heavier, pressing down on Kenneth like solidified concrete, making it hard for him to breathe.

"How could this be? How could King Hassan be here? How could a nobody like me possibly command the Counter Force to send out a Grand Servant targeting a Beast?!"

Kenneth's brain was racing with a strong will to survive. Facing Kenneth, who was emitting wisps of smoke from his head, King Ha, who stood still, stared at Kenneth with his cold, emotionless eyes.

"No, Wang Ha has obviously been here for a while, and I'm still alive, which means Wang Ha didn't come for me. Yes, the head on his waist is a cursed bowl! That damned bug, even in death it's causing me trouble!!"